English Rivers Join Europe’s Most Noxious With Chemical Cocktail
- Environmental Audit Committee blames companies and regulators
- No river has a clean bill of health for chemical pollution
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English rivers are a dangerous “chemical cocktail” of sewage, farm waste and plastics after decades of underfunding water infrastructure and pollution monitoring, according to a parliamentary inquiry.
The House of Commons Environmental Select Committee report published on Thursday blames water companies, farmers, regulators and the government for making English rivers some of the most polluted in Europe. Water company privatization may have led to dividends being prioritized over investment, while regulator Ofwat has sought to minimize consumer bills over the need to renew drains and sewers, it said.